It Doesn't Mean Anything
by Layla Fairy
Summary: This...this is our anthology and i will treasure it dearly. After all you are my friend, my comrade, my partner...my enemy. 100 drabbles looking into Antauri & Mandarin's kinship & betrayal before & throughout the show
1. 5 Seeking Solace

Disclaimer: Own nothing at all. Not Antauri or Mandarin or any other character used.

Theme: 5 Seeking Solace

Warnings: None

Characters Used: Antauri, Mandarin

Time: Pre-show. Mandarin has just told the team of his idea to rule Shugazoom.

Terminology: SIC (Second In Command). Second (Short hand for Second In Command). CO (Commanding Officer).

Length: 724 Words

Inspirational Song: None

**Title: Meditation**

---

Mandarin slowed his breathing, letting reality slip from his grasp as his intake systems drowsily began to quieten. The soft air caressed his systems lovingly as he took up the meditation pose. The world around him just seemed to…stop. Gone was the bickering of his team mates and gone was the gentle tapping of the rain falling onto the metal of the super robot. Everything was gone. Mandarin turned off his optical sensors and blocked his audio receptors' pick-ups. All that was left was to allow his processor to slip into its pre-recharge state, just barely online, to maximize his concentration for meditation.

Now came the part Mandarin always found hardest. Clearing his processor of the day's thoughts, feelings and memories. The little flame of ire at the back of his processor demanded to be addressed . Surely they could see the advantage of them themselves ruling over Shugazoom after all, all those miserable humans had done was run the city into the ground.

Mandarin's processor dragged up the harsh words Sprx had barked at him in rejection of his offer. It hurt him a little to know his team had so openly distrusted him. Did they not hold any faith to his actions? He submitted to the raw pain of rejection, that cruel mistress wrapping her hate around his soul.

Mandarin's conscience hung on the balance of meditation in a battle of will before he felt a soft mental pulse, hesitantly pressing against his senses, seeking an invitation to join him.

"I should have known you would be the one to come and find me Antauri." For his part Antauri said nothing but instead came to sit beside the orange monkey, taking up the meditation position.

"I suppose they are afraid of me now?" The statement was twisted into a question. Olive optics gazed into the eyes of his companion before speaking in a soft tone.

"Do they have a reason to be?" Mandarin lulled the question around his processor slowly and purposefully.

"No." A pause. "No they do not."

"Then I trust you. As my commanding officer and my closest friend." Mandarin onlined his optics to look at the SIC. Was Antauri really allowing himself to be lied to so easily? His Second was floating stiffly but he was managing to look relaxed, his whole body a delicate enigma.

"You do not seem concerned I just proposed we take over your _beloved _city" Pushing the boundaries, Mandarin was waiting for the crack; a wall could only be pushed so far before it crumbled and fell. His optics squinted in suspicion as he watched for any sign his Second could be giving off. Even Antauri could be read like a book, if one knew what to look out for.

"Am I not concerned because I know you. If you were serious you would have done it without our help and dammed the consequences."

"What if you do not know me as well as you think?"

"Then more the fool on me."

"What are you really doing here Antauri? I know you did not come here to meditate. You hold yourself tensely, a sign you are not even trying to either." Antauri onlined his optics and a rare smile graced his countenance.

"I am simply seeking solace, and how better to do it then in the presence of a companion?"

"If you simply wished to talk you should have asked."

Mandarin still couldn't get the fleeting feeling of being analysed by his Second from his mind but then he supposed Antauri should be wary, it was only a matter of time before he swung his SIC's mindset. They should all be _scared_. Antauri wasn't sure when he'd first seen his commanding officer's soul start to rot, but he knew it was irreversible.

It was only a matter of time before one pushed the other over the invisible boundary line, lying to each other would only get them so far.


	2. 10 Breathe Again

Disclaimer: Own nothing at all. Not Antauri or Mandarin or any other character used.

Theme: 10 Breathe Again

Warnings: None

Characters Used: Antauri, Mandarin

Time: Post the battle portrayed in 'Soul Of Evil'

Terminology: SIC (Second In Command). Second (Short hand for Second In Command). CO (Commanding Officer).

Length: 240 words

Inspirational Song: 'Broken' – Lifehouse

**Title: Starting Again**

---

Antauri felt as if the entire world was passing in a blur. The victory cheers flew to the sky, unstoppable and as loud as they pleased. They had finally won, their eternal fight was over. Antauri watched his comrades, no, his brothers-in-arms hug and cheer, celebrate, cry together, share a tender kiss, smile and laugh without a care for the world. Antauri let the soft sunshine gloss across his metallic body. They had hung on and succeeded.

And for the first time Antauri truly felt uplifted. Finally free of the curse which had hung over him for as long as he could remember. That dark, twisted hold over him was gone. His body was scarred and broken but for the first time Antauri felt…happy.

Mandarin was destroyed. Not a scrap left of him to be cloned. Antauri would never see that ugly sneer on the other's face again. Never see those abyss black eyes. Never listen to the insanity laced cackle.

Antauri was _free_.

And with a faint smile Antauri took his first few shallow breaths with the promise of a new life.


	3. 72 Mischief Managed

Disclaimer: Own nothing at all. Not Antauri or Mandarin or any other character used.

Theme: 72 Mischief Managed

Warnings: None (except the possiblity of tiny grammar errors, didnt have time to check)

Characters Used: Mandarin, Sprx, Gibson

Time: Pre-show, When the people of Shugazoom weren't so trusting towards the monkey team.

Terminology: SIC (Second In Command). Second (Short hand for Second In Command). CO (Commanding Officer).

Length: 602 Words

Inspirational Song: None

**Title: The Cat's Meow**

The screen of the main computer terminal was the only light during the current early hour of the morning. Standing around it was Mandarin, who had recently developed a twitch in his left optical receptor and an uncharacteristically-lively-for-this-time-of-morning Sprx. Sprx's grin was so wide Mandarin truly believed his face was about to split apart.

"So boss, long story or short?" Sprx held up the papers in his hand waving them around subtly but no less enthusiastically. Mandarin eyed the release papers warily as if they were the very source of the plague.

"I'd rather not hear it at all if it includes the human police service."

"What if I leave out all the parts about our golden girl's current…shall we say situation?" Mandarin groaned and rolled his eyes. It seemed Nova's famous temper had gotten her in trouble once again.

"Is there even anything left after you take that out?" Sprx's coal black eyes skimmed the documents.

"Ah here we are. 'The mayor congratulates you for once again ridding the town of evil but demands you pay compensation costs for the damage you caused.' Hey they even gave you a smiley." Sprx's tone was so cheery and light Mandarin knew the 'I'm not pink, it's light red!' monkey was in fits of internal laughter at his expense. Mandarin also knew that the sound of an approaching monkey would only make it worse.

"What are you jabbering on about Sprx? And what are those paper's in your hand? They'd better not be from my lab because I am missing a few pages-"

"Oh I'm sorry brain strain I don't think I caught that accusation, want to make it anymore bolder?"

Mandarin cleared his throat to gain the upper hand in the situation.

"Sprx could you just clearly state what the situation at hand is."

"I thought you didn't want to hear it?"

"The situation has changed it appears. I wake to find Nova missing and you have yet to explain why."

"Nag, nag, nag, don't tell me Sprx, do tell me Sprx. Make up your mind." Gibson's interest suddenly peaked.

"You mean to say that Nova is missing? Why haven't you informed Otto or Antauri?...Wait Sprx are those release papers from the human police?"

"Sprx ensured me it was superficial. I've been trying to get the reasoning out of him for the last ten minutes." Mandarin cut across as he knew full well that Gibson _knew _they were in fact release papers from the human police. Sprx lazily rolled a shoulder before using the computer terminal as a back support to lean on.

"Sorry boss, would you believe me if I say I wasn't trying to drag this out for my own amusement?" Mandarin went to speak before Gibson cut him off.

"Sprx! Don't use the computer to slouch on. Honestly the amount of time I spend trying to fix it-"

"Isn't engineering Otto's job? Going to take up piloting next and try and steal my job too?"

"Stop cutting across me when I'm trying to lecture-"

"Sorry Gibby, didn't quite catch that"

Mandarin took one look at the seething scientist to know this was all ending quite badly.

"Sprx bring the conversation back to Nova immediately."

"Sure that's easy, do you want to talk about her gorgeous figure or…"

Mandarin resisted the urge to face plant into the computer's keyboard.

"Never mind, you can tell me what those papers say on the way. Gibson go and wake Antauri so that he can suffer too."

Sprx grinned before putting in his final words.

"Well isn't all this just the cat's meow."


End file.
